Fuel



Patented-Jan. .19, 192s v UNITED STATES PATENT oi-"Pics. T

GRANT HAHIOND, OF'NB'W HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO FUEL DEVELOP- KENT CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION 01' Dm- Io i i Taall'whom'it 00mm: ,x

Be it known t at I, GRANT HAMMOND, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Fuels, of which the ,following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to that class of fuels more especially prepa'red for use internal combustion engines, this application being a continuation in part of In prior application Serial No; 569,134, led June 17, 1922. An object of my; present lnventlon, among others, is the production of a fuel ln consisting largely of substances WhlCh, up

to the present time, have'not proved emnently successful for consumption 1n engines of the class above mentioned, and which fuel, embodying my invention, shall produce results in operation equal to, or even better, than are obtained at the present time by the use of gasolene now commonly employed; and a further ob ect of my invent1onis the production of such a fuelat a minimum and reasonable cost.

It has heretoforebeen pro osed to use kerosene as a fuel in interna' combustionto my satisfaction that in the use of such a mixture the kerosene does not ex lode as a unit with the quicker igniting su stances and there is co uently an unburned uantity of kerosene that is driven off il rough the exhaust, and therefore any beneficial results that may be obtained from such use of the kerosene are greatly minimized, if, in fact they may not be substantiall eliminated;

. I ith. the use of my improved fuel, as disclosed herein, I obtain results that are highly satisfactory in the operation of inu i a filed m a, 1m; Serial m. eas er.

'cible with'the same. This is FUEL.

ternal combustion engines, and especially those used in automobiles equipped with the ordinary types of carbureters, starting as 'readily a s with the gasolene in common use, and little carbon trouble being experienced, as elements are introduced into the mixture tending to consume the carbon during combustion...

In carrying out my experiments it has been my aim to find some way to cause the kerosene to unite in solution with substances that are, under ordinary conditions, incompatlble therewith, as it appeared to me that if th1s could be done the mixturewould explode as a unit and the beneficial results of all of the ingredients would thereby be obtained. After extended trial, comprisin several thousand experiments and tests,

vhave demonstrated to in satisfaction that butanol (C,H,OH) also own as butyl alcohol, when combined with kerosene will cause the latter to act with highly increased efiiciency as a fuel for internal combustion engines, this being demonstrated by the quick starting of such' engines and their continued running without the usual knocking experienced with kerosene alone. According to .my investigations, it seems robable that the'knocking produced when erosene is-used alone is due to the fractional or successive combustion of 'va- .rious hydrocarbons therein which have difgmtion points and which conseferent quentl 0 not burn or 'i ite simultaneousan engine ly. I ave found that so utions of kerosene and butanol employed in almost any relative proportions may be employed to overcome these disadvantages and one mixture which I have found to produce very satisfactory results is composed of four parts butanol in one hundred parts of kerosene.

, a While a mixture of kerosene and butanol has produced results be ond my anticipations, my experiments ave demonstrated that even better results ma be obtained with a mixture composed o butanol, together with other, preferably uick igniting, substances, and I have been a 10 to do this, as I have found that butanol is capable of rendering a larg;a number-of substances incompatible with roseue miskerosene and 100 in a solution composed of kerosene and a saturated hydrocarbon of the homolo ous series corresponding to C H +2 an of higher or lower volatility than kerosene when mixed with substances incompatible with kerosene, the butanol causing a homoeneous solution of the components.

act, I have demonstrated that the use of butanol in mixtures composed of diiferent kinds of saturated hydrocarbons of the homologous series, especially when mixed with air under the heat of compression in a motor 0 linder and then ignited, such mixtures ing in varyin ro ortions, will produce satisfactory results in t e propogation of rapid flame, and the combustion as a unit between such substances.

A mixture compounded on the lines above indicated, and that I have found to produce satisfactory results, is composed of kerosene and gasoline, together with butanol that may be used in varying proportions, preparations which have been used in specific instances being hereinafter stated this mixture producing a fuel in the use of which in an internal combustion en ine practically removes the collection of car on therein.

In producing a fuel for internalcombustion engines having carburetors now in common use, it is important that such fuel, in order to meet all the conditions of such use, shall possess a reasonably high degree of volatility, and I have found that by introducing benzol free from thiophen (C,H,S) into a mixture of the in redients hereinbefore mentioned, a degree 0 .volatility to an increased extent will be obtained, or, in other words, the degree of viscosity will be reduced.

It is of importance that the benzol shall be free from thio hen, as the presence 0 the latter will ren er the mixture objectionable owing to results flowing from its use.

As an example of substances that may be used in the embodiment of my invention, it ma be mentioned that eth l and methyl alco 01s are both miscible wit kerosene when mixed in equal proportions (cold solution) with butanol, and lar er proportions of ethyl and methyl alco '01 may be used when the kerosene is heated. A. mixture in which these ingredients are employed will have beneficial results.

The use of butanol will also render water miscible with kerosene, and therefore I am enabled to introduce water into a mixture with the attendant beneficial results to be obtained thereby.

It is also mentioned that acetone may be added at any stage of the mixing process of substances hereinbefore mentioned, if desired, its use adding to the bulk of the mixture without decreasin its efliciency.

In making a solution 0 kerosene, combined with gasoline, benzol or water, or other substances herein mentioned, and comprising any of the combinations of such substances with thekerosene, it is preferable, but not absolutely essential, that the in-. gredients apart from the butanol shall be thoroughly mixed, as by stirring or by shaking, after which the butanol may be added, and the whole then mixed b stirring or agitating until the mixture s ows a clear solution after standing for a few minutes.

Up to this point I have set out generally the ingredients of which 111 improved fuel may be composed, and whi e these ingredients may be united in varying proportions, my invention therefore not being confined to compounds of specific proportions, I have found compounds composed of the following ingredients in the proportions set forth to produce highly satisfactory results.

Kerosene, gasoline and butanol in the proportions of 46 parts kerosene, 52 parts gasoline, and iparts butanol, these proportions being approximate.

For the kerosene, gasoline, butanol and benzol preparation the proportions are from to parts substantially of kerosene, 50 to parts substantially of asoline (commercial), 1 to 4 parts su stantiall of butanol, and 3 to 12 parts substanti y of benzol. To be more specific these proportions may consist of substantially 48 parts of kerosene, substantially 48 parts of gasoline (commercial), substantially 1 part of butanol, and substantially 3 zol, but as hereinbefore sta arts of benit is not esf sential to my invention that the preparation shall consist of the specific ro rtions above set forth. P Po I clamp- 1. el com risin of kerosene gasoline,.butanol and nzof.

2. A fuel comprising kerosene substantially 40 to 50 parts, gasolene commercial) substantially 50 to 60 parts,

utanol substantially 1 to 4 parts, and benzol substantially 3 to 12 parts.

3. A solution composed of a saturated normally liquid hydrocarbon of the homologous series corresponding to C,H,.-t2 and of a volatility in the vicinity of t at of kerosene, mixed with inflammable liquid hydrocarbons normally of difl'erent volatility and about 3 per cent of butanol to produce unitary combustion thereof.

GRANT HAMMOND.

Ill 

